Le roy c



(No Model.)

W/ TNE SSE S LE ROY O. GODW INI HAT HOLDER.

Patehted Sept. 8, 1891.

INVENTO/i' UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFIcE.

LE ROY O. GODVIN, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO JOHN N. HART AND F. E. GERKE, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

HAT-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,281,-dated September 8, 1891.

Application filed May 29, 1891. Serial No. 394,523. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, LE Roy 0. GoDWIN, of Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Hat-Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in hat-holders; and the object of my invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive hatholder which may be easily secured to the bottoms of pews, theater-chairs, and other seats used in public halls and places of all kinds and in which a common hat may be conveniently placed and firmly secured.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hatholder, showing the hat-loop tipped up against the back of the pew, the pew being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the hat-loop drawn out in position to be tipped up. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the hat-holder in its normal position beneath the pew, and Fig. t shows the position of the hat-holder beneath the pew and with a hat supported in it.

The hat-loop is supported on two parallel guide-rods 10, which have their ends turned up at right angles, as shown at 11, to enable them to be easily driven into a support, and staples 12 arealso driven into the support and embrace the guiderods near one end, the staples serving to guide the hat-loop and strengthen the various parts of the device. It is customary to attach the guide-rods to a supporting-board 13, which may be screwed to the bottom of the pew; but, if desired, the rods may be attached directly to the pew-bottom. The hat-loop 14 is supported upon the guide-rods, and this hat-loop comprises two parallel side members 15, which align vertically with the guide-rods 10, and these side rods are turned up at the end to form terminal eyes 16, which slide upon the guide-rod. The opposite ends of the side rods merge in outwardly-curved portions 17, and the wire forming the loop is then doubled to extend beneath the side rods 15, as shown at 18, and merges in a connecting portion 19. The rods 15 and the parts 18 of the loop align verticallv and these side members 18 are far enough apart to permit the passage of an ordinary hat-crown between them, but near enough together to support the rim of the hat. It will 6c thus be seen that the hat-loop leis composed of a single piece of wire, which is bent into the desired shape, as described, and this loop is capable of being pulled out from beneath a seat, so that a hat may be easily insertedin it in the manner hereinafter described. The eyes 16, which suspend the loop, permit it to swing vertically on the guide-rods 10 when the loop is pulled from beneath a seat, and to provide for supporting the loop in a vertical position, as in Fig. 1, a bail 20 is secured to it, the bail having terminal eyes 20, which clasp the bentportions 17 of the hat-loop, and the bail has also a central lateral bend 21, which enables it to be hooked over a catch 22, secured to the back of a pew or other seat, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. When the hat-holder is not in use, it is pushed beneath the pew or other seat to which it is attached and the bail 21 is turned down so as to hang between the side members 18 of the loop, and these members, pressing slightly upon the bail, serve to hold it in place. When a hat is to be inserted in the hat-holder, the hat-loop 14 is pulled out from beneath the seat, which is done by grasping the bail 2'0 and pulling that outward,

the hat 23 is pushed into the loop, the rim passing through the bent portions 17 and resting upon the side members 18, the bail 20 is turned down between the side members 18, thus locking the hat in place, and the hatloop is then pushed beneath the seat, thus carrying the hat out of the way, as shown in Fig. 4. If for any reason it is desired to support the hat upon the back of a seat instead of the bottom, the hat is placed in the hatloop in the manner already described, the hatloop is tipped'up against the back of the seat, as in Fig. 1, and the bail 20 hooked over the catch 22.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a hat may be very easily inserted in the holder and that it will be held in such a way that it is not liable to injury and cannot accidentally become detached. It will be noticed that as the hat-loop is withdrawn from beneath a seat the side rods 15 of the loop will rest upon the lower portions of the staples 12 and as the ends of the rods are held to slide on the guide-rods 10 the loop will be maintained in a perfectly horizontal position, so that the hat may bev easily inserted and cannot be accidentally dropped.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patenta 1. A hat-holder comprisingthe guide-rods 1O 10, having attaching ends 11 11, and the U-shaped holder having its outer ends bent outward, as at 17, for the passage of the hatrim and then continued rearward, forming arms 15 15, parallel with and above its sides 18, and formed at the inner extremities of the arms 15 with eyes 16, sliding on the rods, and the staples 12, embracing the rods and the arms 15, substantially as shown and described.

2. A hat-holder comprising the guide-rods 10 10, having attaching ends 11 11., the U- outward, as at 17 17, for the passage of the hatrim and then continued rearward, forming arms 15 15 above and parallel with itsside portions 18, the eyes 16 16 at the inner exand close the holder, substantially as shown and described.

3. A hat-holder comprising the guideways 10 10, having attaching ends 11 11, the U- shaped holder curved outward at the outer ends of its side arms 18 and thence rearward over and parallel with the arms 18, forming the arms 15, the eyes 16 16 at the inner ends of the arms 15 and sliding on the guide-rods, the staples 12 12, embracing the guide-rods and arms 15 near their outer ends, the bail 20, having eyes 20, pivoting on the upper members of the outward curved portions 17 and bent between its ends, as at 21, and the catch 22 to engage said part 21 and hold the hatholder in a vertical position, substantially as shown and described.

, LE ROY C. GODVIN.

Witnesses:

O. V. SMITH, L. M. WATTs. 

